Sent: Saturday, February 23, 2008 1:30 PM

NSW Premier Morris Iemma
cc Minister for Local Government
 
22 February 2008
 
Re: Letter sent one year ago regarding Joe Scimone at Wollongong and related matters.
 
Dear Premier Iemma,
 
I believe you implied (on ABC Stateline tonight) that you did not know about the scandal involving Joe Scimone?  
 
However, I believe you should have known - because I cc'd the below email to you a year ago.  I also sent it to the Minister for Local Government and Department, and ICAC, without response.  It is reasonable to assume you did receive my letter, so the question now is - did you also know Joe Scimone had been appointed to work for Minister Tripodi?
 
I believe the corrupt culture of Wollongong City Council and State Labor politics has been long entrenched, as Oxley was there 20 years including those of Mayor David Campbell, and the rot came from the top.
 
A great deal of natural, Colonial and Aboriginal heritage has been destroyed in the Illawarra by a controlling culture of pro-development greed; and as a result communities have fought for decades to save such areas as Sandon Point, rezoned by Campbell and Oxley.  The struggle continues and I consider ex-General Manager Oxley to be very much responsible, as well as your State government's last three Planning Ministers.
 
ICAC has now been asked to investigate a "Voluntary Planning Agreement" between Wollongong City Council and Stockland at Sandon Point, for which GM Rod Oxley received Council "delegation" to act in 2006.  Following a valuation of public land in Thomas Gibson Park, Council Officers discovered Stockland had no other access under Minister Sartor's Part 3A approval. It would bring an advantage of up to $8 million dollars to Stockland as access  - so they sought to avoid paying $4.05 million (S94) to buy back public land containing an Aboriginal Place burial ground, wrongfully sold to Stockland by Sydney Water.  (Which is yet another story of corruption.)
 
Council proceeded with rezoning the public parkland area to 'Operational' using Sartor's Part 3A excuse and the community lost public community land and a heritage community rail bridge for which they had fought Council for 8 years.  The bridge was totally demolished by Stockland October 2007 with Council's approval - and Thirroul has lost its customary access from the west to Thomas Gibson Park and Sandon Point beaches, requiring long detours with tired children.
 
Rod Oxley told Council Officers he would take charge of money negotiations, meanwhile Stockland wrote to Minister Sartor on 6 July 06, seeking his "recommendations and intervention in this matter".  Shortly after Stockland and Oxley agreed to obtain a second vauation on quite different terms.  The upshot was that WCC now has to pay Stockland $4.05 million!  My question is whether Sartor intervened? and was it Sartor or Oxley who cheated the public purse of $4.05 million dollars in the interest of developer Stockland?
 
I challenged the Sandon Point Part 3A approval in LEC and won on the ground that Sartor had not considered the impact of climate change on a known floodplain (LEC 40240 of 2007) therefore the "Planning Agreement" is also void, although Sartor has now hypocritically launched a Supreme Court challenge against the court win.
 
I am extremely glad ICAC is actually investigating some of the common knowledge around Wollongong, and I hope Oxley and Sartor's connection with Stockland will also be investigated - as it is an elephant in the room of developer contributions, control, and corruption.
 
The community does not want an "administrator" imposed upon Wollongong Council.  We do not need yet another Labor stooge; or more grabbing of development powers by Planning Minister Frank Sartor.  We want a more democratic election process,  and it is time your government started to listen to the people and act with a duty of care, in the public interest.
 
Sincerely,
Jill Walker

_____________________________________
Email of 18 February 2007
 
General Manager Rod Oxley WCC <roxley@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>; Mayor Alex Darling <adarling@wollongong.nsw.gov.au> Kathy Vijums <kvijums@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>;
WCC RECORDS <records@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>; LOCAL GOVT DEPT. John Davies <john.davies@dlg.nsw.gov.au>;
Local Govt Minister <localgovt@hickey.minister.nsw.gov.au>;
INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION <icac@icac.nsw.gov.au>; CR Zeki Esen <zesen@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>; Cr Val Zanotto <vzanotto@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>;
Cr Tony Kent <tkent@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>; Cr Kiril Jonovski <kjonovski@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>;
Cr Janice Kershaw <jkershaw@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>; Cr Frank Gigliotti <fgigliotti@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>; Cr David Martin <davemartin@gobushmail.com.au>; Cr David Brown <dbrown2@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>; Cr Carolyn Griffiths <cgriffiths@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>; Cr Anne Wood <awood@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>; Cr Andrew Anthony <aanthony@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>; Cr Alice Cartan <acartan@wollongong.nsw.gov.au>; Premier Iemma <lakemba@parliament.nsw.gov.au>
 
Mayor Alex Darling WCC
General Manager Rod Oxley WCC
Cc All Councillors, Wollongong City Council
Cc Local Government Minister Kerry Hickey,
Cc ICAC, cc Ombudsman
 
18 February 2007
 
OPEN LETTER TO WOLLONGONG CITY COUNCIL re JOE SCIMONE
                                
I was outraged to hear on local media, the General Manager and Lord Mayor defending criminal assault by senior Council manager Joe Scimone; also their subsequent cover-up by Council's Human Resources Division, responsible to GM Oxley.  It was an attempt to defend the indefensible.
 
How dare these two men use their position of power to blame victims of crime and discrimination? Why did they victimize a Councillor to whom women turned for help? Oxley and Darling's attitude confirms my perception that Council has a culture of control, intimidation, bullying and fear.  They ignored due process, human and civil rights, and appear to have no remorse.
 
A misogynist 'boys club' attitude is destructive to any corporation, and these practices have made Wollongong Council an unsafe workplace for staff and Councillors, and a fortress of intrigue and deception against the community.
 
Rod Oxley; you promoted to a senior position a sexual predator, who apparently escaped police action.  No doubt, he has connections in that department and possibly, in high political places. There must be prosecution of any person who has committed an offence.
 
You failed to inform Councillors about the situation, and I believe ratepayers have paid the financial consequences of legal and court costs and payout.  In a final insult, the villain resigned - entitling him to benefits.  That is scandalous and he must repay all Council/community money.
 
The recent ICAC raid may yet lead to further investigation and charges. In the light of this Rod, you have no right to continue secret negotiations with Stockland at Sandon Point and Gibson Park regarding public space, or negotiations anywhere else.  A moratorium must be called on all current DA's, developments and approvals in which you have been involved, just in case you are eventually charged and your actions found to be against the public interest.
 
I have experience of Council indifference under Oxley's watch.  In July 2002, a dozen Stockland Contractors attacked me on Sandon Point public cycleway.  One bully threw me from my bicycle and held me prisoner for an hour.  I believe there was a conspiracy to intimidate me because when police arrived, they placed me under arrest - until questioned by eyewitnesses.  I was not charged but police refused to charge my attackers, and Council refused to investigate the matter despite assault and injury on a public cycleway.  This indicates a cozy relationship between developers, Council and Wollongong Police - which ICAC and the Ombudsman have failed to investigate.
 
Alex Darling; you feigned ignorance of Scimone's predatory actions, denied any responsibility and used a Pontius Pilate defense of "It's got nothing to do with me… see the CEO, I can't interfere with staffing matters … these things happen." (ABC radio,WIN News 16/2/07)
 
Your incompetence and lack of compassion are disgraceful. By allowing the GM total control to the extent of reversing Council decisions, and acting beyond his powers, you have abdicated responsibility and enabled predators to operate within Council.
 
Councillors, you are also culpable, by tolerating Oxley's contempt of Council decisions without any consequence, and exceeding his powers to the point of telling you not to speak to the media.  You are the elected officials, yet some of you hide behind his actions for reasons of political expedience.
 
The Mayor and General Manager have failed in their duty of care towards staff, councillors and the community.
 
I request that Councillors terminate Rod Oxley's employment immediately - without a 'golden handshake'.
 I also request Councillors vote "no confidence" to remove Alex Darling from Office.
 
These two men are now without credibility, having breached their positions of trust, and by ignoring the Council Charter, and laws of the State.
 
PS I forgot to request Council to publicly release the "Robyn Bartlett" Report ...
If Council will not I would like to be told why?
Sincerely,
Jill Walker